Hashtag United leave fans baffled with latest announcement after asking to be relegated

Hashtag United avoided punishment from the FA after they made a request to be relegated from the Isthmian Premier Division in late March, citing financial reasons.

The request had football fans from around the country talking as the Essex-based club stated they would want to be relegated no matter where they finished in the Isthmian Premier Division this season.

This announcement came as a surprise after the success the club had since its inception in 2016 by online content creator Spencer Owen, gaining cult status among fans of his YouTube channel.

As of writing, the channel is one of the most popular football club channels across English football, with 672,000 subscribers.

The club successfully applied to join the English non-league football pyramid in 2018, and since then they have achieved incredible success climbing through the divisions and have spent the last three seasons playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

So, when the club announced on social media their decision to request a relegation to the Isthmian League North Division, there was surprise from the footballing world

Their request could have resulted in an FA punishment, a one-year promotion ban for teams that request and accept a voluntary relegation, partly because it is cheaper to play in the lower divisions.

However, the FA were unable to implement this punishment as Hashtag United were relegated in a more conventional manner as they dropped into the drop zone with a 2-1 loss to Dulwich Hamlet last week on the final day of the campaign.

It means that it is now possible for the club to achieve promotion next season, as they dropped down a division without the aid of the FA.

A statement from the club on social media read: “Today we have received official confirmation from the FA that we will be relegated as normal and drop one division into Step 4 for the 2026/27 season.

“As such, we WILL be able to achieve promotion back to Step 3 next season should we earn it on the pitch.”

Hashtag United will not be punished after their request to be relegated from the division, as their form made this a reality as they lost 7-0 to Dartford in the next game following their announcement.

Across April they would win two of their league fixtures, suffering the same number of defeats in the month across their final five matches.

Hashtag United were not the only side to be relegated this season from the Isthmian League Premier Division, as Canvey Island, Potters Bar Town and Cray Valley all suffered this fate after poor seasons.